Dora sat next to Luke, her thigh pressing up against his, and decided she never wanted to leave the casino’s buffet. The place had everything she needed: unlimited refills of Bloody Marys, crab legs, and the sexy man she’d missed more than she cared to admit.
“You must’ve been hungry,” he said, eyeing the pile of cracked crab legs.
“You have no idea. We stopped for lunch yesterday, but we’ve mostly been surviving on road trip snacks.” She took a long sip of her Bloody Mary and sighed when the spicy concoction hit her tongue. So good.
“Do you want to know what I found out about those numbers?” he asked.
“I do!” Evie slipped into the booth across from them. “But I need food first.”
Dora glanced at the buffet. “No one is stopping you from grabbing a plate.”
“I’ll get it,” Trace said.
Evie beamed up at him. “Tons of crab, a couple of rolls, and whatever else looks good.”
“I’m on it.”
“And—” she started.
“Something for Sunshine,” he finished and winked before slipping into line.
Evie sighed. “Isn’t he the best?”
A waitress arrived and took her drink order. Evie requested a mimosa and ice water. When she was gone, Evie turned her attention to Luke. “Okay, I’m ready. What do you know?”
He smirked. “The numbers were coordinates and a PO box number.”
Dora’s eyes widened. “I never thought of that. Makes sense though. I wonder what’s in that box.”
“Evidence,” Luke said. “There was a phone with video of Roland Mitchem shooting his wife and then turning the gun on Kyle. He shot at Kyle but missed. And by some miracle, Kyle got away before the man could finish him off. It turns out Kyle was supposed to testify for the prosecution, but he got spooked and bugged out. The investigators in charge of the case think Jared threatened Kyle’s mother unless he disappeared. But that wasn’t enough for Jared. He was trying to protect his dad, and that’s why he tracked Kyle down and killed him. It was quite the messy family drama.”
Dora blinked, trying to let all of that sink in.
Evie leaned forward. “Was Kyle having an affair with Mitchem’s wife?”
Luke nodded. “Like I said, messy. It’s why Mitchem killed her.”
“That’s terrible,” Dora said, shaking her head. “Poor Kyle. He didn’t deserve any of that. I mean, cheating is wrong, but I can’t imagine what Nadine’s life must have been like being married to an actual murderer. Kyle was probably everything Mitchem wasn’t.”
“Probably,” Evie agreed. “I’m glad we were able to help get Jared off the streets.” She turned to Luke. “I imagine this means the elder Mitchem is going down, too?”
Luke nodded. “It sure looks that way, unless his lawyers find a way to dismiss the video as evidence. Anyway, he’s already in custody, and the judge is likely to deny bail.”
“That’s…” Dora eyed Luke. “How do you know all of this?”
“Yeah, Luke,” Evie chimed in. “How does a chef know all of this?”
He glanced between them, giving away nothing in his easy expression. “Can’t a guy have his secrets, too?”
“Not when it comes to our futures,” Dora said, moving away from him so that their legs weren’t touching. There was something weird going on, and she couldn’t afford to have her brain muddled by his mere presence.
Luke reached over and took her hand in both of his, making Dora curse in her head. This was not what she had in mind when she tried to put distance between them. “Listen, Dora.” He cleared his throat. “There’s a reason I was there to help you escape from the dry cleaners that night when you were both abducted. I, um… I have kind of been keeping an eye on you two while the Franklin case works its way through the system.”
“You’re undercover, aren’t you?” Evie blurted. “I knew it! Regular chefs are good with their knives, but they aren’t known for their alligator whispering or lock picking skills.”
Luke didn’t answer her. Instead, he squeezed Dora’s hand and held her gaze.
“Is that true? Are you an undercover cop?” she asked, not sure if she should be relieved or terrified.
“No. Not exactly.”
Dora yanked her hand from his. “Are you part of the mob? Are you working for—”
“No!” he insisted. “I am definitely not working for the criminals.” He turned and pressed his palms to both of her cheeks. “Hear me when I say I am one of the good guys. There are things I can’t tell you right now, but you need to understand that I’m on the right side of the law and will do everything in my power to keep you safe and out of jail.”
“Oh, my heart,” Evie said with a loud sigh. “If that isn’t the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”
“What’s romantic?” Trace asked as he slid in beside Evie and placed an overflowing plate of seafood in front of her.
“Those two.” She waved a hand at Dora and Luke. “They’re like a Lifetime movie, only this one is going to have a happy ending.”
Trace laughed. “Yeah. I can see that.”
“Dora?” Luke asked, sounding worried. “Are you okay? I would’ve told you sooner, but technically, I’m not supposed to say anything at all.”
She stared into his eyes, reading the sincerity there. He had been nothing but helpful to them through the whole ordeal from Pensacola to New Orleans and now meeting them in Reno. If he’d meant them harm, he’d already had every opportunity to carry out any nefarious plans. She gave him a soft smile. “I’m okay. Just…” She shook her head and laughed. “I guess I’m not surprised. Evie’s right. You have talents most mortals don’t.”
His lips twisted into a wry smile. “I’d love nothing more than to show you my talents.”
“I bet,” Evie chirped, and Dora’s face flushed with heat.
“Um, yeah.” Dora glanced away, but it didn’t stop her from thinking about following him to one of the hotel rooms after lunch.
“But that’s not really in the cards right now. We have some things to discuss, and you two need to get that flash drive so we can get this case wrapped up,” Luke said.
“Right.” Dora straightened her shoulders as if she were ready for battle. “We’re on that. Should have it tomorrow.”
“Good.” Luke gave them a nod of approval. “In the meantime, you’ll be glad to know that Marco’s businesses are suffering. Some of his smaller endeavors are already closing down. There’s suspicion that he’s been involved in criminal activity for years, and once you get that evidence, it looks like it’s going to be easy to clear your name.”
Dora felt a huge weight that had been pressing down on her chest lift, and she sucked in a deep breath. When she let it out, she said, “You have no idea how good that is to hear.”
He squeezed her hand again. “I think I might.”
Across from them, Evie and Trace had their heads bent and their foreheads touching, and it occurred to Dora that it might be the most intimate moment she’d ever seen between them. Being apart had somehow brought them closer together, and Dora wondered how long it would take for Evie to get over her commitment issues once they were back in Pensacola. Probably not long by the looks of it.
“Listen, Dora,” Luke was saying. “I’ve gotten you another vehicle. I didn’t want you to be driving the bus. It’s time for a change.”
“We were actually driving a VW Bug that belongs to Windy, but it’s probably too recognizable, especially where we’re going. What did you get for us?”
“It’s a truck, a crew cab. It’s older and a little beat up, but it runs great,” Luke said.
“Oh. Em. Gee!” Evie exclaimed. “It’s perfect considering we’re…” She cleared her throat. “Guess I shouldn’t blurt out our destination.”
“Probably not,” Dora said dryly.
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t get cowgirl hats and boots!”
“With what?” Dora asked.
Evie grinned. “It’s on Sunshine. She won three hundred bucks playing quarter slots.”
Dora laughed. “Of course she did. Where is she now?”
“Being Windy’s lucky charm at the craps table.” Evie grinned again, and then as if she hadn’t eaten in a week, she dug into her crab legs.
Dora, who’d stopped eating to talk to Luke, followed her lead, and for the first time in weeks, she started to think that just maybe everything was going to be okay.